Prison Pharmaceutical Issues

Prescription medicines are the third-largest component of prison health care costs after hospitalization and clinical services. The prison pharmacist lives in two worlds. The pharmacist is subject to professional standards expected of all pharmacists, but there is also involvement in the unique environment of the correctional facility, which requires modifications of work behavior. This entry summarizes the legal requirements for medical care that prison pharmacies help fulfill and identifies issues associated with the operation of prison pharmacies. With regard to the latter, the decentralized nature of the correctional system makes it difficult to make definitive statements about the whole, though general practices can be identified.